Username: Chat Noir
by Mitzia
Summary: Marinette is an average girl with above average self-esteem issues. Her best friend Alya and the most active visitor on her Ladyblog website, Chat Noir, are trying their best to give her enough confidence to be with her crush, Adrien. But when Adrien rescues her from being locked in the gym storage room, will she finally confess to him? And who is Chat Noir away from the keyboard?
1. Chapter 1

_"I know you'll do great today. Just remember to watch where you're walking and look both ways before you cross the street. Too many people die being careless and you don't wanna die on your first day of school, right?"_

 _"Wow, that was pretty harsh."_

 _"What? You know I'm right :P"_

 _"..."_

 _"Oh, come on, I was joking, princess."_

 _"I know, I know, Chat."_

"Marinette, get your butt down here!"

Huh? Oh! Alya's here!

 _"Sorry, Chat, I gotta go to school now or Lady Wifi is gonna have my head!"_

 _"Aww, okay. Don't worry about a thing, Bugaboo. You got this ;)"_

"Marinette!"

"Coming!"

I threw my phone into my school bag and pulled the straps on as quickly as I could. I tried to simultaneously put on my sneakers and ended up knocking over the assorted drawing utensils on my desk. "Ugh, not again," I groaned. I saw the alarm clock on my nightstand and saw how late I was. "Oh, I'll get it later!"

I practically jumped down the steps to the house and saw Alya leaning against the doorway, tapping her phone and glaring daggers through her thick glasses. "Hehe, waiting long?" I asked with a sly smile.

"Let's just go. I don't want to be late because of you again this year," Alya said. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along to make sure I didn't get lost. No matter how aggravating I can be to her sometimes, she still views me as a friend and a best friend at that. While we walked down the street, I was a few steps behind her but I could still make out a smile.

"Are you excited for the new school year?" I asked.

"Of course, I am! A new year means new kids and new kids mean new juicy stories," she smiled. Alya was always interested in dramatic stories that she could potentially exploit, I mean, publish. Ever since we were little kids, she wanted to be a news reporter and a journalist. Unlike most little kids, Alya continued to keep that dream and runs the school newspaper and blog. She also made a blog for me to use in my spare time.

It's called the Ladyblog which was subtly named after my favorite animal and insect, the ladybug. Just like Alya, I've had an aspiration practically since birth which was fashion design. I don't know what it is about ladybugs, but there's something about them that gives me the inspiration to create new designs. I probably should find a new source of inspiration because most of my designs contain the trademark black spots and are mostly made up of various shades of rouge, but if it's not broken, why fix it?

"Oh my god, Adrien's here already!"

Alya shoved me against the shrubs that outlined our school which finally came into view. Her tanned fingers pointed to an expensive looking black car where a blonde teen walked out with the help of a red-haired woman dressed in a black business suit. A crowd of girls flocked him and he waved kindly to them and tried to enter the building with ease. "Now's your chance!" Alya said.

"What? Wait, me? Are you nuts?!" I screamed. A few students who were walking past us stopped and turn to see my exasperated expression. I smiled nervously at them and Alya and I joined them on the sidewalk to enter the building.

"Come on, girl, you have to make a move. We live in a generation where we can do that, you know," she said.

"That's impossible for me! Every time I see him, I just freeze and stutter and completely malfunction!" I groaned.

"Don't get so down on yourself, Marinette. As clumsy as you are, you do have some pretty wicked luck. Maybe that ladybug obsession of yours is more helpful than you think," Alya says, patting my shoulder. I looked up to her and smile.

We reach our classroom where Mme. Bustier is beginning the first class of the new school year. Alya and I sit next to each other in the same seats as last year with Adrien and his friend Nino in front of us. This is basically the closest I can get to him without flipping out, but being behind him means he can't see me.

I'm practically invisible to him. Despite the encouragement I always get from Alya, I doubt he would be interested in a clumsy girl like me.

"Adrien, don't you want to seat over here with me?"

A blonde blob of a girl skips over to Adrien's desk and clings to his arm like a small child does to their mother.

"C-Chloe, we're in the middle of class!" Adrien retorts. He pulls his arm away from her person and she pouts.

"Come sit over here with me! There's a better view there than near these nerds!" Chloe motions to Alya and I and Adrien sighs.

"Chloe! Return to your seat immediately!" Mme. Bustier yells. Chloe scoffs but does as she's told and class resumes as normal.

* * *

 _"I knew today was gonna be a total disaster."_

 _"What's wrong, m'lady?"_

 _"Oh she's just moping that she didn't get to talk her boyfriend."_

 _"Lady Wifi!"_

 _"Ladybug's got the jitters, huh?"_

 _"Chat!"_

 _"I've told you before, m'lady, that if you need practice saying how you feel, I will gladly lend my services 3"_

 _"..."_

 _"Ladybug, it's only the first day of school. There's like two hundred more left."_

 _"Ugh, don't remind me."_

 _"Chat, shut up."_

 _"Look, I know you two are trying to help, but I just can't tell him. Not yet anyway."_

 _"Hey, if you need anything, we're here for you."_

 _"Yeah. I might not be there physically but you always know where to find me."_

 _"Thanks you guys."_

 _"With that said, I'm gonna take a kitty nap. Good night. ;)"_

 _"Good night"_

Chat Noir logged off and now it was just me and Alya.

 _"You know Chat's totally into you, right?"_

 _"Huh? No way! He's just trying to be cute behind the screen."_

 _"Why don't you tell him who you really are? You know he's in Paris, maybe you know each other or could meet up."_

 _"Alya, you don't meet strangers on the internet! Don't you watch the news?!"_

 _"Marinette, journalism is my passion. Ask me that again."_

 _"Not my point."_

 _"All I'm trying to say is maybe you should give him a chance if things don't work out with Adrien. You two seem to have a much better connection and I'm not just talking about an internet connection."_

 _"Alya..."_

 _"I'm not forcing the issue. I said my piece and now I'm heading out. Good night Mari."_

 _"Good night, Alya."_

I should probably head to bed too before my brain gets weird ideas again. I can't afford to lose sleep from overthinking things on a school night.

* * *

"Alright, everyone. Gym class is done for today. Before you leave, I want you to return the equipment to the storage room. If you work quickly, you won't be late for your next class. See you tomorrow."

Everyone in the auditorium groaned but complied with the coach's wishes. The boys, mostly Kim and Ivan, took the heavier pieces of equipment to show off how strong they were while the girls took in cones that were used for today's drills.

"Marinette, hurry up. I'm not going to wait for you if you keep daydreaming," Alya said.

"You say that all the time," I sighed.

"And I'll mean it too if you don't get your butt in gear." She went ahead of me to put her cones away while I gathered the jump ropes I was standing around.

"I can't believe they expect me to clean this stuff up! What if I break a nail?" Chloe's shrill voice regrettably met my ears.

"Then you break a nail, it's that simple," I said.

Chloe looked at me in shock and almost seemed to growl. "It's heavy too! What if I pull something?!"

I looked beside her to see several yoga mats laying on top of one another as a makeshift seat. "You can't carry that?" I asked.

"I can't and I won't! I'm too important for slave work!"

"Ugh, I can't believe you sometimes."

I gathered her mats under my arms and brought them with me to the storage room. Because of our little chat, everyone was already done cleaning up their parts. Alya's cones were also back in their spot. I guess she really did mean it this time. I placed my jump ropes on the shelf and Chloe's mats on the floor in the corner. "Now I can go back to cla-"

The storage room door slams shut and there's a soft click on the other side. I grab the handle but the door doesn't budge. I flick my wrist as hard and fast a possible but the door is locked from the outside. "No, no, no, no, no!" I mutter to myself. On the other side, I can hear snickering and the sound of footsteps getting more and more faint. "Chloe! I swear if that was her...no, I have to get out of here!"

I move back and try to kick the door, but it doesn't move. I kick the handle but all that does is hurt my foot from the metal. The class bell rings and I sink down against the door. "No one's close enough to get me. I guess I'll just wait it out or something." My head hits the door as I sigh. "How did I end up like this? I'm so stupid!" My head hits the door hard and I fall back.

"Woah! What the- Marinette?!"

I fall onto my back and look up into pure emerald oceans. "Adrien?" Adrien holds my shoulders and helps me to stand up.

"How did you get locked in here?!" he asks.

"I-I don't know. I was putting equipment away and then the door closed and I heard someone, but I don't know who it was."

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah. Thanks for getting me out of there," I stuttered.

Adrien sighs and shows me a relieved smile. "I'm glad. I heard a voice in here and came running. I didn't think it'd be you," he said.

"Uh, class started already, I should get going!"

"W-Wait, Marinette!"

I couldn't hear anything else that he said over the sound of my feet hitting the floor and my heart pounding in my chest. He talked to me! He actually talked to me!

Maybe I'm not as invisible to him after all.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **I've been meaning to write a Miraculous fanfic for a looooong time now. I just love how creative this fandom is with AUs and wanted to contribute to it. I hope you like this first chapter and hopefully I'll be able to pump out a few more soon for you guys!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	2. Chapter 2

_"Alright, girl, you need to spill the beans right now. What happened after I left?"_

 _"I...talked to him."_

 _"Him? You mean the guy?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"OMG LADYBUG! What happened?!"_

 _"I got locked in and he found me. He...saved me."_

 _"Locked in?"_

 _"Someone locked me in the storage room at school. He opened the door for me but I got too scared and ran away. Ugh, he probably thinks I'm a total loser now!"_

 _"Do you know who did it?"_

 _"I think it was Antibug, but I don't know for sure."_

 _"It does seem like something she'd do."_

 _"Antibug? She hasn't been on for a while now."_

 _"Ugh let's keep it that way. The internet is a bad place as it is without her."_

 _"Well I don't know for sure that it was her."_

 _"Yeah, don't chastise her unless you know."_

 _"Chat, if you met this chick, you would too, believe me."_

 _"..."_

 _"Chat?"_

 _"You still online?"_

 _"Not for long. I gotta go do homework. Talk to you girls later."_

Before Alya or I could wish him good night, he logged off. Alya logged off too after saying good night to me. I was about to turn my phone off when a notification popped up from the chat.

 _"Before I forget, have a good day tomorrow, m'lady."_

Chat Noir logged off again as I stared at the message. "It's just like him to say something like that."

* * *

Alya patted my back while I groaned into my arms for the thousandth time today before class even started. "I'm sure it's not that bad, Mari. You need to relax," she cooed.

"Isn't relaxing the thing that got me into this mess?" I reply dryly.

"Well, doing the Queen Bee's bidding is what got you there, but I digress."

"Alya..."

"I know, I know. I'm just sa- hey, look who just showed up."

I lifted my head far enough away from my desk to see Adrien walk in with his best friend, Nino. Chloe came in behind him and jumped onto him, nearly knocking him over. The whole sight was sickening. Is she so dense that she can't tell he doesn't want her? Adrien pries her off him and locks eyes with me.

"Good morning, Adrien," Alya says.

"Good morning, girls. How are you feeling, Marinette?" he asks.

I look to Alya for help answering his question but all she does is raise an eyebrow at me to answer him myself. "I'm good, to say the least. Thanks again for yesterday," I reply.

Adrien smiles at me and I can feel my heart racing like yesterday. "I'm glad that you're okay."

"Excuse me, aren't you going to ask how I am?" Chloe interjects.

"Huh? I was just checking in on her because yesterday, she-"

"Why would she possibly need to be checked on? I know she's pathetic and all, but there are better people who are more deserving of your attention." She flips her bleach blonde ponytail and winks at the blond boy.

"You better back off, Chloe," Alya growls.

"Chloe, she just needed my help yesterday. Someone was cruel enough to lock her in the gym storage room. Don't you think it's right to see if she's okay? She could be getting bullied!" Adrien defended.

Why was he trying so hard to get his point across to her? Whenever there was a situation Chloe couldn't wrap her blonde brain around, they would say their side and leave her to believe what she wanted to make herself seem superior. It's really odd that Adrien would try so hard for me. Wait, Adrien was trying hard for me. Does that mean he cares about me? No, it's probably because this incident is borderline harassment.

Yeah, that has to be it.

"She's out of the storage room, isn't she? She's in one piece, too. If you ask me, she's okay," Chloe said.

Adrien was getting visibly irritated at this point. Mme. Bustier entered the room and the drama queen reluctantly went to her seat. Nino sat down in front of Alya and before Adrien took his seat, he leaned over my desk. "You should come sit with me at lunch so she won't give you more trouble." He pulled back and I managed to nod. He smiled and took his seat while Mme. Bustier took attendance.

Alya nudged me in the ribs with her elbow. "Score, girl! Are you excited?" she whispered.

"I don't know what I'm feeling now."

My face felt hot and my heart was pounding like a jackhammer. My hands were shaking and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt the stereotypical feelings of being in love but I was also terrified. What might Chloe try to do to me after this? Can I even function around Adrien for lunch? I think I might puke or pass out or both.

Maybe getting out of the storage room was a mistake after all.

* * *

"Do you think Chat Noir is online right now?" I asked Alya. The lunch bell rang and the class hurried out of the room. We took our time packing up our bags and were the only ones left in the room.

"Probably. Even if he wasn't, I'm sure he'd answer his princess," Alya snickered.

"I'm not his princess," I said. I took out my phone and logged onto the Ladyblog.

"Really? You never deny it anymore," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, when you deny it for two years and he won't shut up about it, you learn from your mistakes."

"Two years, huh? It's really been a long time since he came into your life."

Alya looked up into space as if she was reminiscing something. "What do you mean 'my life'? He's your friend, too."

"Mari, haven't you noticed how much Chat comes to you and you to him? You two are really there for each other, especially in times when I can't be. He's really good for you and the fact that you have a problem and are going to him shows how much you rely on him."

"I just want a guy's opinion on this; to see what he thinks before I mess everything up," I mumble. "Besides, you and him are my best friends, of course he's important to me."

I connect to my account and walk off to the bathroom for some privacy. Alya told me before that she was going to eat with Nino so that Adrien and I could be alone. I'm not sure if that's a blessing or a curse, but I guess I'll figure that out after I talk to Chat Noir.

 _"Why good afternoon, m'lady. It's rare for you to call me in the middle of the day."_

 _"I'm glad you're online. I want to talk to you."_

 _"I'm all ears...er...eyes, I guess."_

 _"The guy that saved me kinda saved me again...against Antibug."_

 _"Is she the one that locked you in?"_

 _"It looks that way but she was being clingy as usual and just...I don't know, being her, I guess. He invited me to lunch in case she wanted to taunt me again..."_

 _"..."_

 _"Chat?"_

 _"Sorry, my connection's kinda off. You know, school wifi sucks."_

 _"What do you think I should do?"_

 _"Go to lunch obviously. He invited you, right? Don't turn a man down, that's mean."_

 _"But I'm gonna embarrass myself again..."_

 _"Then make him laugh. Guys love humor."_

 _"Not. Helping."_

 _"Princess, it's lunch, not a marriage proposal. This is your chance to talk to him 1 v. 1"_

 _"That's the problem! I'm gonna stutter or run out of things to say or not say anything at all! What if I make him hate me?"_

 _"Ladybug, there's absolutely no reason for him to hate you. If he's as great as you say he is, one lunch with him will be fine. He even wants to help you with this bullying garbage."_

 _"What if he's doing it because he thinks I'm pathetic?"_

 _"Is he the type of person to do that?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Ladybug?"_

 _"...No..."_

 _"See, I know what the problem is."_

 _"What?"_

 _" "_

 _"What? There's nothing there."_

 _"Exactly."_

 _"?"_

 _"You're just making up excuses in your mind. You just need to follow your instincts and just go for it. You'll regret it if you don't."_

Maybe Chat's right. Adrien is trying hard to make sure that I'm okay and it is just lunch. Maybe I can stuff my face long enough so I won't say something stupid.

 _"Thanks Chat. I'm gonna go eat with him."_

 _"Of course, m'lady. Have fun, lovebug ;)"_

* * *

"There you are! I started thinking you got locked somewhere else and had to go find you!" Adrien greeted.

"I was just talking to a friend," I said. I put my tray of food on the table across from where he's sitting.

"Who? Alya's been over there with Nino for at least ten minutes," he pointed out.

"Not anyone here, at least I don't think so. It was just a pen pal."

"A pen pal?"

"Yeah. A few years ago, Alya made me a blog so I could 'be more social'. This one guy found it I guess and we've been chatting ever since. He's a really helpful guy when you need him."

I smiled a little at the memory of Chat Noir's name first coming up on my notifications. Alya made sure to tell our whole class about the blog to try and help me make friends. Everyone signed up, but they never really used it, or at least they didn't use it to be my friend. They all had weird names like Evillustrator or Horrificator, even Princess Fragrance and Timebreaker. Chloe also signed up as Antibug. She knew my username was Ladybug and maybe she just hated me or the blog that much to pick that name.

Whatever their names were, I never had an explanation for Chat Noir. He appeared as mysteriously as his name was but he was by far the most friendly. He really reached out to me and tried to get to know me. Him and I have been inseparable ever since. Not a day has gone by without us chatting. As close of friends that we are, I never asked him who he really is because I don't want to know. I've heard stories of people chatting online and meeting up only to be deceived and kidnapped or worse. I'm scared that one day, I'll learn that Chat Noir isn't the person I've grown to love as a friend.

"He must mean a lot to you."

"Huh?"

"That pen pal; he must mean a lot. You've been quiet for a couple minutes now," he chuckled.

Have I really been thinking of Chat for that long? "Sorry about that. He is important to me. I don't have many friends. I probably only have him and Alya. Being social isn't exactly my strong suit," I mutter.

"Well, now you have three."

"Three?"

Adrien's teeth show in a wide grin. "From now on, you can count me as your friend." He holds his hand out to me and I just stare at it. I'm not sure if I should take it or not. This is all happening so fast, but at the same time, it feels nice.

"If you don't feel comfortable, I-"

"No, no, no, it's not that. This is just...a lot to take in right now. I mean, I've only had two friends for as long as I can remember and now someone like you wants to be friends with someone like me...I don't know how to react," I said.

His green eyes blink a few times before he bursts out laughing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but you're just so...innocent. I can tell why Chloe would try to pick a fight with you."

Innocent? I guess that's one word for it.

"Marinette, as your new third friend, I'm going to help you whether you like it or not. That's what friends are for, so be prepared," he smiles.

The lunch bell rings and Adrien gathers my tray on his. "I'll take this back. You should walk with Alya back to class." Before I can protest, he leaves and Alya drags me away by the arm.

"So, what happened?"

"He's my friend now, I think."

"Seriously?! Look at you! You're just a four letter word away from being his girlfriend, now!"

"Alya!"

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you aren't thinking it too!"

I can't tell her I'm not thinking it because I am. My dream is slowly coming true right before me and I can't tell what's still in store for me. That's the scariest part of all.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **It hasn't even been a full day since I posted this story but I've gotten a ton of support in such a short time! Thank you to everyone who has read it so far and hopefully I can continue to meet your expectations! I hope you enjoyed this insight to how Marinette and Chat Noir met and her blossoming friendship with Adrien! I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	3. Chapter 3

_"Chat, you should have seen her today. She was soooo into him! ;P"_

 _"Lady Wifi! Stop lying! It wasn't anything like that!"_

 _"Oh did she now? Tell me more, Wifey~"_

 _"Chat!"_

 _"She was like putty in his arms, whispering sweet nothings into his ear and blushing like she had a fever. :3"_

 _"Knock it off!"_

 _"Come on, Ladybug, I'm just messing with ya"_

 _"So what really happened then, hmm? :3"_

 _"We just talked."_

 _"About what?"_

 _"About friends. That's why he called himself my friend now. That's all, don't believe Lady Wifi. She's just in her fanfiction mood again."_

 _"It's called creative writing."_

 _"Whatever."_

 _"He's trying to ask you out."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"WHAT?"_

 _"It's so obvious. 'I'm your new friend, your savior, your trusty door opener. Come into my arms, m'lady'"_

 _"That's ridiculous."_

 _"That sounds more like you than him, Chat."_

 _"I'm just calling it how I see it ladies. Why else would he try so hard to get close to you? He must have a thing for you."_

 _"H-He would never..._

 _"Never say never, girl."_

 _"..."_

 _"What? I've been trying to get you to talk to him forever and now he's doing the work for you! Go up to bat before it's too late."_

 _"It's just...different now."_

 _"How's it different?"_

 _"...I don't know...I just don't want him to think I'm pathetic by jumping to conclusions..."_

 _"Did Chat log off?"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"No, I'm still here."_

 _"You've been awfully quiet."_

 _"I guess you can say the cat's got my tongue."_

 _"You and your puns..."_

 _"You know you love them, m'lady."_

 _"I also love sleep. Good night, you two."_

* * *

I dragged my feet along the sidewalk by myself the next morning to school. Alya had to go ahead of me to meet with the principal about the school newspaper, leaving me to walk on my own today. The walk there seemed lonelier than I remembered. It was only a few minutes away from my house, but it felt like an eternity just to get to one end of the street. Maybe if I actually lifted my feet off the ground, I could get to school on time.

I pull myself up the stairs of the school where some of my classmates are still chatting outside. I swing my backpack off my shoulders when I get closer to my locker and put some books inside for later.

"Hey, Marinette, do you have a second?"

My locker almost shuts on my fingers from an outside source. That outside source happened to be Sabrina, Chloe's top lackey.

"What do you want?" I asked more bitterly than I would have liked to.

"I just wanted to ask if you wanted to sit with Chloe and I at lunch today. She has a lot she wants to talk to you about."

"Are you out of your mind?"

"This is a personal request of hers. You wouldn't want to disappoint her, do you?"

"And just what makes you think I'd want to be anywhere near her?"

Sabrina's eyes narrow and she smirks. "She knows that you sat with Adrien yesterday and she really doesn't like that. So, if you don't sit with her or if you sit with him again, there will be consequences."

Am I really being threatened over having lunch with Adrien? Well, this is Chloe we're talking about. If I so much as look at him, I might as well have my eyes gouged out.

"If it means so much to her royal pain in the neck, I'll just eat at home today. I have things I need to take care of, anyways," I sighed.

Sabrina jumps and clasps her hands together. "I knew you'd make the right choice! Chloe will be pleased to hear this!" Her tiny body scampered away from my locker to who even cares where.

"Alya's probably going to scold me for this," I sighed.

* * *

"So, what? She said you can't have my toys, is that it?"

"Pretty much."

"I swear, karma is going to get her pretty good someday."

"I guess."

"Girl, why are you so bummed out?"

"I don't know, Alya."

Alya walked with me to my house this time during our lunch break. I told her about what happened with Sabrina during class and her being a motherly friend is joining me for lunch at the bakery.

"Why don't you talk to Chat? I'm sure he'll say some purrfect one-liners that'll cheer you right up!" Alya giggled.

"He's not online. I tried before we left," I sighed. I don't know why I'm so down today. Everything must be getting to me now. There's just too much going on all at once.

"Marinette, welcome home! Oh, hello Alya!" Mom called from behind the cash register.

"Hi Mom. Do we still have the croissants Papa made yesterday? I'm craving those for lunch right now," I said.

"They're in the back if you two want to share them," Mom smiled.

I kissed her on the cheek and Alya and I went to secure our lunch. My parents were the best pastry chefs in the whole world, I swear. Everyone who came here loved whatever they made because it was so sweet and made with nothing but love. I've met people who didn't care much for sweets who absolutely adored whatever they ordered here.

Alya grabbed a plate for the two of us and I piled a few croissants on for us to take back to school. By the time we finish it, it'll be time for class, so we can't stay here much longer. I wrap the plate in tin foil so they don't get ruined and we walk back to the front of the shop.

"Thanks Mrs. Dupain-Cheng!" Alya says.

"No problem, sweethea- welcome!"

The bell above the door rings as it opens up wide. "Hello."

"Adrien?"

"Marinette? Alya? Hey." Adrien waves at us. "I didn't know that you were here. I thought you'd be in the cafeteria," he said.

"We should be but-"

"We were just heading back there. Do you want to come with? We've got Mrs. Dupain-Cheng's world famous croissants!" Alya holds up the plate as if she's trying to hypnotize him into coming along with us.

"Sure, I'd love to!" Huh, maybe she did hypnotize him.

"I guess we're off then. Goodbye, Mom," I wave to her.

Alya leads the way out and takes out her phone. "Oh no, I have to go take care of something! Here, take these and have fun!" She shoves the plate into my arms and runs off without saying where she's going. Knowing her, she just left me here to die with Adrien and pastries.

"That was...odd," Adrien says.

"That's just Alya for you," I groan.

"Come on, let's go eat her share of the croissants. Finder's keepers, am I right?" he asks with a toothy grin.

We find a bench to sit on and I place the plate in between us as a type of barrier. Adrien takes the foil off and practically devours the croissants he takes. "You really like these, don't you?" I ask as I take the first bite of mine.

"Hmm? Oh, uh-huh!" he mumbles through the food in his mouth. He swallows it down and lets out a relieved sigh. "Sugar is just so tasty! It must be really fun to live in a bakery," Adrien said.

"It's not that out of the ordinary. Alya's mom is a chef at the Grand Paris Hotel and she has a normal life like me. A more sociable life, but a normal one," I said.

"I don't know about that. Chefs are cool and all, but I think patissiers have more fun. They get to make the food that looks beautiful and tastes delicious to everyone." He takes another satisfying bite out of the croissant and smiles. "Maybe that's how they made you," he says under his breath.

His green eyes quickly dart to mine as he realizes he wasn't as quiet as he thought he was. "Uh, I mean-"

The school lunch bell rings faintly a few blocks away. "W-We should hurry before we're late to class!"

Adrien takes the plate in one hand and my hand in the other. He runs faster than I thought he could down the street towards the school so that we won't be late.

How am I supposed to focus in school after he said something like that?!

* * *

 _"That's weird. Chat isn't online."  
_

 _"He usually is at this time. I hope everything's alright."_

 _"Me too. This isn't like him."_

* * *

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien calls from the top of the school stairs. Alya and I turn around and wait for him to meet us on the sidewalk. "Here. Those croissants were amazing. Tell your mom I said so!" Adrien hands me back the plate from yesterday. I didn't even realize he kept it. He didn't have to return it. We are a bakery, after all. Plates are everywhere.

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked them!" I smiled brightly.

"I'll give you two some time to talk. I'll meet you at your place, Mari," Alya says with a sneaky wink before walking away from the school.

"I wanted to give you something else yesterday, but the bell rang and I didn't have time to afterwards," Adrien said.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Take this." He pulls out a slip of paper from his jeans pocket. "I know how much you love talking to your pen pal and I can be really busy sometimes and won't be able to talk to you at school. I always have my phone on me, so we can text outside of here," he explains.

I take the paper and examine his handwriting. He wrote his name neatly next to a phone number and an e-mail address.

"Oh, looks like I have to go. See you tomorrow, Marinette."

The luxurious black car rolls up on the street just as Adrien says goodbye. We wave to each other and he's off again just as quickly as he came. I open the paper and read its contents again. There's something about this e-mail address that looks familiar, but I can't tell exactly what it is.

"Oh, Marinette!"

I turn back to the stairs where the Queen Bee and her faithful servant smile down at me like an ant.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **We're getting closer to the end, sadly. There might be about three more chapters, but trust me, they're going to be juicy :3 Thank you everyone for your continued support! I wouldn't be able to sit down and actually write them if it weren't for you guys (^_^"') I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Do you have a moment to share with moi?"

"What do you want, Chloe?"

Chloe smirks as the gears behind her blonde head turn with devilish and delusional ideas. This obviously has to do with Adrien. Even a blind man can see that. But, she sure has guts to try and do something about it.

"I've noticed that you and Adrien have been getting friendly lately," she coos. Her flats clack on the steps as she comes closer to me. I take a step back and grab a strap of my backpack, ready to make a run for it if I need to. "What do you have there?" She takes the slip of paper Adrien gave me out of my hand. "Ooh, look at this Sabrina, nerdius maximus got Adrien's digits!" She shows the information to Sabrina who laughs like it was a joke. Chloe turns back to me. "Just what were you planning to do with this?"

"To sell it on e-bay; what else would I do with it?" I snap.

"You think you can be friends with my Adrikins? Think again, loser," Chloe said. She hands the paper to Sabrina who rips it into hundreds of tiny pieces like confetti.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" I yell.

"Look, Marinette, I don't want you anywhere near him, got that?" Chloe gets close to me and pushes at my shoulder.

"What if I don't? I don't have to listen to you, Chloe."

"Seriously? You think you have a choice? My daddy is a powerful man who can do powerful things which makes me powerful, too. I can do so many things to you if I wanted to. But, I won't want to if you do as I say."

"If you don't want to get hurt, you should listen to her," Sabrina pitched in.

My chest tightened and I couldn't breathe. My head was spinning and everything was telling me to leave right now. As much as I wanted to deck her in the face, there was a little truth to her words. It's not like Chloe never did anything heinous to get what she wanted. I was definitely no exception, especially with how much she hates me.

I turn on my heel and use my adrenaline to run away from the school as fast as I can.

Everything after that was a blur on the way home, but the one thing I remember was her shrill voice shouting, "It was good talking to you, Marinette!"

* * *

"Mari, look me in the eye and tell me you're okay."

"I'm okay."

"I said look me in the eye and say that. Now you're just looking me in the eye. Come on, tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Alya."

"That's bull and you know it."

Alya and I sat at our normal seats in the cafeteria. Nino returned to his spot with Adrien who offered me to sit with him again. I couldn't even give him an answer. I just ran away from him like a coward. Alya had to chase me here and practically force me to sit with her. I don't know what's wrong with me today. I just can't function properly. Yesterday was just way too much for me. I can't stop thinking about what Chloe might do to me if she sees me with Adrien again. I guess the fairy tale life I wanted to live with Adrien is up in smoke now with her trying to separate us.

I knew it was too good to be true.

"It has to do with Chloe, doesn't it?"

"How did you-"

"When isn't it Chloe?" I sigh as I actually try to think of a time when Chloe isn't the root of my problems. "Marinette, what happened?" Alya takes my hands on the table and looks at me with pleading eyes.

"After you left, Adrien gave me his e-mail and Chloe came and ripped it up. She threatened me if I ever went near Adrien again," I explain.

"That's not all you're telling me. There's something else on your mind," Alya pries.

"It might just be my imagination, but his e-mail - before she ripped it up - looked really familiar."

"What was it?"

"I don't remember. It all happened so fast," I sighed.

The lunch bell rings and students begin leaving one by one to return to there classes. Alya puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles. "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. I'll even get Adrien's info before school ends for you, okay?"

I smile back at her and nod before we return to our afternoon classes.

* * *

"Hey, give me your phone and I'll add him as your contact," Alya said with a gleeful smile. Without hesitating, I hand her my phone and she paces away from the school's front doors as she types. She has a habit of walking and writing or typing at the same time. She says it'll help her write down the next big scoop when she's on the move as a journalist or something weird like that. I don't believe that's true, but it's not like it's hurting anyone.

"Hey, Marinette."

"Uwah! Adrien!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he chuckles nervously.

"No, no, I just didn't see you there," I say, hoping it'll make this less awkward.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to be in school for a couple days. Dad's making me go to a fashion show with him for inspiration or something."

"Oh, that must be fun," I said. I'd kill to go to a fashion show, especially one with Adrien. His dad is one of my favorite designers, so he must go to some high end shows. That must be so cool!

"Eh, everyone has there favorite places, I guess. That's just not one of mine. Oh." His phone beeps in his pocket and he takes it out. His eyebrows narrow as if what he's reading is somewhat distressing. "I, uh, need to go, Marinette. See you later," he says. He runs down the steps and as if on cue, his ride pulls up on the street. All the while, he doesn't look up from his phone. I hope whatever he's reading isn't bad news.

"Marinette, you can have this back now," Alya says, holding my phone in front of my face.

I take it and make sure she put in his contact correctly. That probably wasn't necessary for her, especially when she's so tech savvy that her screen name is Lady Wifi.

"Does this e-mail look familiar to you?" I ask.

"Nope. Never seen it," she responds quickly.

"This is really bothering me."

* * *

 _"This place is loser central, just like I remember."  
_

 _"Antibug?"_

 _"What are you doing here?"_

 _"I just wanted to give a message to Ladybug."_

 _"..."_

 _"What do you want?"_

 _"I wanted to show you this really cool shot I got today."_

A picture message comes up and I can feel anxiety coursing through my veins. I tap the message and pray that it isn't malicious.

The picture is of Adrien and I on the steps earlier today when he was looking at his phone. His expression was not a very positive one and was the focus of this picture. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng blackmails Adrien Agreste! Someone stop her!" was written in pink bubble letters as a caption.

 _"Are you serious right now? That's so fake just like you."_

 _"People will believe what they want to believe...especially if you pay them enough."_

 _"Antibug! Why are you doing this?! This is too far!"_

 _"How far I take it depends on your stupid friend here."_

 _"Ladybug? Are you still there?"_

 _"See you later losers~"_

 _"Ladybug? Ladybug?! Are you still there?! Ladybug!"_

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even hold my phone properly in my hand to respond to Alya's texts. What did that picture mean? People will believe what they want to believe?

What's going to happen to me?

* * *

The next day at school, everyone was staring, or rather glaring, at me. I could feel their eyes piercing me like knives and it was to much to bear. Luckily, Alya stayed by my side at all times for protection. Any time someone came up to me with their phone whipped out, she would get in the face and scare them off. I couldn't help but wonder what this would do to her reputation as well. More people liked her than me. What if her other friends turned on her?

What was worse about this whole thing was Chat Noir practically disappeared from the Ladyblog. He hasn't talked to us since my lunch with Adrien. This isn't like him and Alya knows this, too, but she says it's not unusual for people to disappear from chat rooms. I can't bring myself to believe that Chat's gone. I won't accept it either until I know for sure how he is.

"How are you feeling, Marinette?" Alya asks me. She guides me to our lunch table with a gentle hand placed on my shoulder.

"I don't know. I feel better with you here, but I just don't know. I've never felt this way before," I muttered.

"I swear, the next time I see her, I'm going to shove those designer sunglasses of hers right up her-"

"Has Chat come on yet?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't think so. I'm sorry," she says.

I laugh through my nose. "Of course he'd leave when I need him the most. Cats always leave whenever things go wrong. It's just animal instinct." I lay my head on the table and I can feel Alya running her fingers through my hair. There's silence between us for a minute or two and I'm not sure if I wanted it or not.

"Hey, let me see Adrien's e-mail again."

"Huh? Why?" I ask. I lift my head off the table to give her a questionable look.

"Now that I think about it, it kind of does look familiar," she said.

I take my phone out of my pocket and hand it to her. She breaks into it quickly because she knows my passcode. Her fingers work fast to find the contact. "Huh, I guess I was wrong. It isn't familiar." She holds onto my phone longer than it should take her to figure that out and continues to type something as rapidly as she usually does.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Huh? Nothing. Here. Hey, we should go somewhere after school. Let's go to the Eiffel Tower," she says with newfound excitement.

"Why do you want to go there?"

"You need to get away from here. There's too much depression here. Besides, the tower is your favorite place in all of Paris. You can't say no to me, Marinette." Alya smiles at me and I find myself smiling too.

The lunch bell rings and we go back to class. The thought of going to the Eiffel Tower in a few hours gives me more comfort than I've had all day. Escape is ideal today.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **So this story has been up for like three days and it's already becoming one of my most popular stories. Keep in mind this is my 101st story I've written in three years XD Your support is just so overwhelming and I couldn't make this story possible without you guys. There might only be one more chapter left, depending on how I write it. I hope you enjoyed this drama filled chapter!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Alya, slow down!"

"Not a chance, girl. We've got places to be and things to see!"

Alya snatched my wrist at lightning speed when the bell rang to end the day. We were the first people out of the door and the school which probably turned quite a few heads, especially with my picture floating around. Alya and I ran across the street, miraculously dodging traffic that she didn't bother to look out for.

"Alya, you're going to kill us! Slow down already!" I yelled.

The closer we got to the corner of the street we were on, the slower our running got. Alya put her hands on her knees and heaved next to me, desperately trying to catch the breath she just wasted running two blocks at full speed.

"Alright, now's the time to tell me what's going on. You're too eager today to be going to the Eiffel Tower. Why are we going there all of a sudden?" I ask sternly.

She finally straightens out her back and looks at me with a serious expression I was not expecting. "Marinette, you know I'm your friend, right?"

"What? Yeah, of course you are."

"And you know that I would do anything to help you when you need it, right?"

"Alya, what did you do?"

Her eyes gaze upon the French landmark in the distance and then back on me. Her lips form a thin smile as she takes me hand again. "You're probably going to be mad at me, but you'll thank me later, trust me."

Without another word, Alya and I sprint for the Eiffel Tower and whatever she had planned for me there.

* * *

"We're here. Now what?"

Alya clutches my hand and takes my other in hers. "Marinette, I want you to be happy. Whatever Chloe is planning to do to you isn't right and you totally don't deserve it. Now as much as it sucks, someday I might not be there to help you when you need it. That's why I found someone else who can be there for you when I can't be."

"What do you-"

"Hello, m'lady."

Alya looks behind me where the voice just came from and smiles gently. That voice-

"Or should I say, Marinette."

Alya chuckles at how still I am and turns me around by my shoulders.

There in the flesh, in front of the Eiffel Tower, is Adrien.

"Adrien?"

"This probably wasn't how it was supposed to go, but here I am," he smiles.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask. What was going on? Why was Adrien here? He was supposed to be away at a fashion show. Wait, if Adrien's here, Chloe might be nearby too to mess with me more.

Adrien looks to Alya who smiles and nods at him as if he was asking permission to answer me. Instead of talking, he hands me his phone that was opened to a web browser. "This is...the Ladyblog," I whisper. I didn't know he knew about this.

"Check the chat room," Adrien says.

I look up at him and his nod urges me on. I tap the icon that takes me into a chat with...Lady Wifi and Ladybug.

 _"I know it's you, Adrien."_

 _"Who is this?"_

 _"It's me, Alya."_

 _"But this is Ladybug."_

 _"Well, it's her account. I'm doing some snooping on my own accord."_

 _"How did you know it was me?"_

 _"The e-mail you gave me, duh."_

 _"Oh...right..."_

 _"Anyway, I just wanted to confirm our suspicions."_

 _"'Our?'"_

 _"Have you figured out who Ladybug is?"_

 _"I have. It took me a while, I admit, but I have."_

 _"Well, she recognized the e-mail but didn't put two and two together. Silly girl."_

 _"She doesn't know, does she?"  
_

 _"No, of course not. I won't tell her. I just wanted you to know you don't have to hide, at least not from me. Things are happening that might need you to step in. I just wanted you to be aware of that; for Marinette's sake. I know you care about her, so you have the right to know."_

"Y-You- How did you get into my account?" I asked.

"That happened when you gave me your phone to add him as a contact," Alya said.

That's when Chloe took the photo of Adrien looking at his phone. "So this-" I show him the picture Chloe made "-was when Alya was texting you?" I asked.

"It was. I didn't know she'd tell me she knew, especially at that time. Go on, read the rest," Adrien says.

 _"Alright, I don't know where you are, but she needs you now."_

 _"What happened?"_

Alya sent the fake picture.

 _"Guess who made this?"_

 _"Chloe did this?"_

 _"Obviously. Marinette is completely distraught. You should see her now. I think...I think it's time."_

 _"You don't mean..."_

 _"She needs you. You haven't been active in the chat and she's just tearing at the seams. She wants you, both of you. Please, can you tell her?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Adrien."_

 _"The tower."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Go to the Eiffel Tower after school. I'll be there."_

 _"Alright."_

 _"And Alya?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Take care of her."_

 _"Was that seriously necessary to say? That's what I've been doing! You better not be late, mister! ;)"_

Adrien takes his phone back before I drop it along with myself on the ground. My knees are shaking so much that I can't stand. My best friend, pen pal, and my crush were the same person. They were the same person that sat in front of me in school. They were the same person who I met two years ago on the Ladyblog.

They were the same person this whole time.

"Marinette?" Adrien gets on the ground in front of me so that we're at eye level. "Marinette, are you okay?" he asks gently.

"I-I don't know."

"I know you didn't want to meet me because you didn't want to know that I could have been some fifty year old guy on the internet, but I couldn't sit around when you were hurting so badly. I couldn't see you like that but at the same time, I couldn't just reveal myself. I didn't want you to be disappointed in who the real Chat was."

"Why did you stop using the chat?" I asked.

"I figured out who you were and I didn't want anything to slip," he said.

"Anything to slip?"

Adrien wraps his hand around mine and holds it up. "I didn't want you to know that I...like you."

"You wha-"

Adrien brings my hand up to his lips and kisses my knuckles. Suddenly my entire mind is blank except for him. Adrien just confessed to me. Maybe I didn't hear him right. Why would he confess to me of all people?

The sound of a camera snaps me back into reality and I turn to see Alya holding up her phone. "That's a really good shot, you two!" she squeals as she shows me the proof of the kiss I still can't believe just happened.

"I uh, hope this doesn't change much between us. I know it'll be weird knowing that Chat Noir is me, but I'm still the same person you met on the blog and the person who found you in the storage room."

I look at our hands that are still holding one another and intertwine our fingers together. "Nothing would ever change that, you silly kitty."

Adrien gives me a shocked look before smiling and squeezing my hand. "Thank you, bugaboo."

* * *

I walked into school the next day with more confidence than I ever had. People were still giving me dirty looks, but there was only one thing I could think of.

Chloe.

Today was going to be the day I would stand up to her. I wasn't going to take anything from her anymore. She can't control me and she doesn't know me like the people who care about me do. Today, I'm going to make her understand her wicked ways to keep this from happening to anyone else again.

As I enter the classroom, Chloe, Sabrina, and Kim turn to me and smirk. I put on the sweetest smile I can possibly muster which isn't hard to do from being a baker's daughter, I'm told. "Oh, Chloe! Do you have a moment to share with moi?" I ask in a sickeningly sweet mocking tone.

Chloe looks visibly taken back by my confrontation, but she gets up anyway. "What do you want, loser? If you want to join us, you're not welcome here," she says.

"And just why would I want to do that?" I ask.

"Because I'm amazing and everyone wants to be my BFF," she said.

"And she already has one, so back off!" Sabrina interjects, clutching Chloe's arm like a toy. Chloe shakes her off and adjusts her bright yellow cardigan.

"I'm not here for that. I just wanted to invite you to lunch with Adrien and I."

"You what?!"

"Well, Adrien and I were going to have some of my parents' croissants today when I thought, 'what if we invite Chloe? She looks like she could use a few friends.' Adrien agreed with me and here I am, delivering the message to the Queen Bee herself." I added in a bow for dramatic effect that earned a giggle from Alix and Juleka in the back of the room.

"Wh-Why would Adrien sit with you at lunch? You're so...so..."

"-So his new girlfriend."

"What?"

Chloe wasn't the only one surprised by that interruption. Alya put a hand on her shoulder and winked at me. That means whatever she's going to do is way off the deep rail. "Yeah, didn't you hear? Marinette and Adrien are so into each other! I can't believe he's not here snuggling her before class starts!"

Chloe smiles and whips out her phone. "I did hear something like that. Didn't she blackmail him into it?" She shows off her photoshopped image to our classmates who look at me in anticipation of my retaliation.

"Blackmail isn't required for true love. Besides, aren't you the one who made that picture as blackmail in the first place?" Alya asks, taking her phone out as well.

"Why would I need to blackmail her?" she asks. She points at me like I'm a disgusting bug that needs to get squashed.

"I don't know. I mean, I have the conversation here, but I can't figure it out. Maybe you guys can help me? Max, you're smart. Analyze this for me." Max steps forward and Alya hands him her phone.

"'I wanted to show you this really cool shot I got today'...'People will believe what they want to believe, especially if you pay them enough'...'How far I take it depends on your stupid friend here'...all of these are from Antibug the day before that picture was sent out to everyone and it's the one she showed in the chat," Max reads out. Everyone looks at Alya's phone in disbelief and then at Chloe.

Her face turns red behind the make-up she wears and her legs shake as she steps back from the crowd. She clutches her phone so hard that her knuckles turn white and she points at me with her other hand. "She made that up! She totally made up that chat to frame me!"

"Marinette would never do such a thing."

"Adrien?! Why are you defending her?!"

Said teen walks into the class and puts a hand on my shoulder. "I've known her long enough to know that she would never do anything so heartless. She's a kind person that wouldn't take advantage of others, especially to date someone," he says. He smiles down at me and I can't help but smile back.

"Sh-She's doing it again! She totally blackmailed you into defending her! H-How pathetic can you be, Marinette?!" Chloe yells.

"Chloe..."

"It's over."

Kim steps forward to look at Chloe. "There's no point in continuing this," he says softly.

Chloe backs up even farther and stares at the class in fear and confusion. Her hands clutch tightly as do her eyes like she's holding back tears. Suddenly, they open and lock on me. "You! You stole Adrien away from me! He was mine!"

In a split second, Chloe rushes toward me and swings her arm around to slap me. Closing my eyes is the only thing I can do to protect myself against this unexpected attack. I hear the sound of skin hitting skin, but I don't feel any different physically. Slowly, I open my eyes and Adrien's back blocks my field of vision. His face is turned to the side and his eyes are closed too. The room gasps and falls silent as everyone stares at the two blondes.

"A-Adrien..." Chloe mutters. The realization of what she just did sets in and she stumbles backwards.

Adrien looks her in the eye and takes my hand in his. "I won't let you hurt my friends again," he says sternly. His expression and the tension in the air confuse Chloe. Her eyes dart around the room for any form of support she can get, but there is none. Her head drops and she slowly makes her way out of the classroom. After a moment or two of silence, Sabrina goes to join her.

Everyone looks at Adrien and I. "Are you okay?" I ask. Chloe's hand print is still red on his face and looks like it stings a little.

"I'm fine. I've been through worse," he smiles.

"Good, I'm glad," I smile back.

"So, are you two really a thing?" Rose asks to break the silence among her peers.

"I don't know. Are we, lovebug?" Adrien puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his chest.

"Huh? What?" I blink nervously.

"This is the part where you say 'I do,'" Alya whispers.

"Alya! We aren't getting married!" I yell.

"I mean we could if you wanted to," Adrien pitches in.

"What?!"

"Aww, you guys are so cute!" Rose cheers.

* * *

 _"I can't believe it's all over..."_

 _"You were great today, Marinette. I didn't know you had it in you ;)"_

 _"Thanks, Alya."_

 _"It's weird to see our real names come up instead of Ladybug or Lady Wifi."_

 _"Yeah..."_

 _"At least you don't have to say I'm some creep from the web :)"_

 _"Well, you can be a creep."_

 _"How?"_

 _"I saw the way you were looking at Mari today. ;)"_

 _"What way...?"_

 _"Oh you know ;)"_

 _"Alya, stop it!"_

 _"Alright, alright. I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Good night."_

 _"Good night."_

 _"So...what do we do now?"_

 _"We can do anything now that Chloe won't bother you again for a while."_

 _"I hope you're right."_

 _"Animal instinct says I am."_

 _"Hey, thanks for being there for me today. I couldn't have stood up to her without you, behind the screen or not."_

 _"You don't have to thank me. That's what friends and boyfriends are for."_

 _"..."_

 _"What?"_

 _"It's just...weird thinking that I'm your girlfriend..."_

 _"Why? You don't want to be?"_

 _"WHAT?! NO I DO!...It's just...a dream come true...Are you still there?"_

 _"Sorry, I just had to laugh."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"You really are too sweet for your own good. I can't believe you're finally mine :)"_

 _"...You're embarrassing me..."_

 _"Well, get used to it, m'lady, because while I'm here, you're going to be nothing but happy ;)"_

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **I really really really hate to say this but, The End! I had no idea this story would get the attention that it did and I'm really glad I was able to finish it in a timely manner. More often than not, I start a story and then just never get around to finishing it, but all of your continuous support motivated me into wrapping up this story. It was really fun to write and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! Hopefully I'll write more Miraculous Ladybug stories in the future since there's so much to explore in this universe.**

 **Thank you all again for sticking with this story until the end!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


End file.
